Helping to keep trains on schedule when timetables tighten up in December 2019

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

The extra train will be added during off-peak hours in 2020.

Introducing the 4tph to Bristol won’t happen in December.  That’s been the plan since the early part of the year, as I mentioned in my first post regarding the December timetable in another thread.  It’s whether all the other planned introductions happen at once or in stages.

[Robin Summerhill]

(No doubt someone out there will know and tell me......!)

I don't "know" but I can glean things from RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) 

The four cars that are dropped off go ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) to Reading depot so they are clearly not immediately needed for another train.

The 1857 RDG^‡(resolve) DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) is the 1819 from Paddington, which stops only at Maidenhead and Twyford.

The 1858 arrival is the 1757 ex-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) which stops at all stations except Acton Main Line and Hanwell & Elthorne.

I suspect the Powers That Be expect a higher loading to Maidenhead, Twyford and Reading on the 1819 fast train from PAD than on the 1759 stopper, so that is why the four cars go to Reading only on the express service. Whether or not the actual loading bear out Powers That Be's wisdom is something that you can answer better the I can!

All that said, the various TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) that now operate what used to be known as British Railways Southern Region have been splitting and joining portions of trains since Noah was a lad and usually without delay, so there is nothing wrong with the principle itself. Perhaps GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff need to up their game in the matter?

[grahame]

There's one thing that would help - eliminate dividing trains mid-journey. ...

I beg to differ on the principle; I don't know about the particular cases you mention. 

The trunk of the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) network - the line out of Paddington - requires as many seats as possible (at least at busiest times) and everything needs to be 9 or 10 cars. But as the train get further out in some directions, passengers thin out somewhat. One option is to turn back alternate trains at [choose place] but then that leaves a service below optimum frequency beyond, but another is to split and that at its crudest (turning 5 carriages around) makes financial sense. At its best, it allows you to "feather" and provide through London services to new destinations, perhaps replacing local trains. 

Keeping such trains on schedule? Simples - please, Mr DfT^» (Department for Transport - about), don't tighten the SLC^▸ (Service Level Commitment) specification for them beyond what is sensible. You are not looking at dwell times at perhaps a dozen stations along the way - just at one. And at that one you are replacing a connectional change ... which would take a few minutes and would be less attractive to the customers.

Where might some interesting hourly car services end up? Weston-super-mare.  Yeovil Pen Mill.  Hereford.  Paignton ... Westbury 2 trains per hour to Paddington, one via Bedwyn and one via Didcot.  Perhaps the Weston service joining with a service from South Wales at Bristol Parkway.  But all this way, way beyond what this thread is about which is ensuring excellent dwell times all along the routes from December.

[Bob_Blakey]

Leaving aside any late running resulting from Network Rail infrastructure issues, you don't have to be a genius to realise that a lot (?most) of other delay is generated by passengers not being in the correct place on the platform to board as quickly as possible.

An obvious help in this area would be to make better use of the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) screens in conjunction with the new platform zonal markings; certainly at EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) the presentation of train information is extremely variable and much more detailed for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services than for XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)).

I would have the information presented in a partially tabular format:

12:45 GWR service to London Paddington               (On Time/Expected hh:mm)
This train has 9 coaches
This train will also call at Taunton, Westbury & Reading
Coach ID          Platform Zone          Class                 Facilities
     A                       1                      First          (Wheelchair Symbol)
     B                       2                      First
     C                       3                   Standard           (Cycle Symbol)
     D                       4                   Standard
etc, etc.....

Would all passengers please check their reservations and move to the correct platform zone.
Passengers without reservations please move to platform zone(s) xxxxx
(It is surely possible for train managers/the booking system to provide advance notice of the location of the majority of unreserved seats. Do trains still have unreserved coaches?)

And don't forget to use the station PA^▸ (Public Address) to ensure passengers fully understand where they need to go.

Unless of course the current technology is completely incapable of doing this! 

[TonyK]

Leaving aside any late running resulting from Network Rail infrastructure issues, you don't have to be a genius to realise that a lot (?most) of other delay is generated by passengers not being in the correct place on the platform to board as quickly as possible.

An obvious help in this area would be to make better use of the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) screens in conjunction with the new platform zonal markings; certainly at EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) the presentation of train information is extremely variable and much more detailed for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services than for XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)).

I would have the information presented in a partially tabular format:

12:45 GWR service to London Paddington               (On Time/Expected hh:mm)
This train has 9 coaches
This train will also call at Taunton, Westbury & Reading
Coach ID          Platform Zone          Class                 Facilities
     A                       1                      First          (Wheelchair Symbol)
     B                       2                      First
     C                       3                   Standard           (Cycle Symbol)
     D                       4                   Standard
etc, etc.....

I have noticed that the CIS is providing more detail sometimes than it did six months ago, such as "Last Reported". It should not be beyond the wit of man to have a summary of which coach is going to stop at which zone - if it is, ask a woman to do it. It wouldn't be needed at Paddington, but I am sure the modern kit is capable.

[jamestheredengine]

An obvious help in this area would be to make better use of the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) screens in conjunction with the new platform zonal markings

I think you're overestimating the extent to which passengers will (a) bother to read and (b) believe the information on information displays. It's much better to ensure that trains are in a consistent formation.

You also will struggle to get many people to stand out in some numbered zone beyond the end of the canopies – even if it's not raining, the end of the canopy has a psychological effect. Consequently, the easiest passengers to put out there are those with reservations (and the argument then goes that reservations in Standard Class should not be available in carriages D-H, and should only become available in C once B and J are completely reserved).

[REVUpminster]

I think passengers do try to stand near where their reservation is but the 10 coach IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) comes in with first class at each end of the train because a unit is the wrong way round. The last time it happened to me the Newton Abbot indicator listed the coaches as 1-10 and not lettered.

[bobm]

The screens will always list the coaches as 1-10, 1-9 or 1-5 even though the actual carriages are lettered.

At first glance that seems illogical but the coaches have to keep a static letter for the reservation system and things like the quiet coach.   Even if you could guarantee each train was made up correctly things like diversions and reversals would soon put pay to it.

[rogerw]

It also depends on the information posted about the train formation being correct.  Only 50% success on my recent journeys so that I now resort to waiting in the centre of the platform until the train arrives and I can ascertain the formation.

[bobm]

Yes that has certainly been an issue.

Sort of understandable when first starting out on a journey but there should be a routine that someone (train manager?) checks the screens and advises control if they are wrong.

[tomL]

Yes that has certainly been an issue.

Sort of understandable when first starting out on a journey but there should be a routine that someone (train manager?) checks the screens and advises control if they are wrong.

I believe a system is being/has been rolled out that allows all TMs^‡(resolve) to update formation information of their train as needed. Hopefully as this is more often utilised information will improve in quality.
 

[stuving]

Yes that has certainly been an issue.

Sort of understandable when first starting out on a journey but there should be a routine that someone (train manager?) checks the screens and advises control if they are wrong.

I believe a system is being/has been rolled out that allows all TMs^‡(resolve) to update formation information of their train as needed. Hopefully as this is more often utilised information will improve in quality.
 

I reckon the trains should be able to report that kind of thing - formation, where they are, what's run out, as well as train system faults etc - all on their own.

[Incider]

Yes that has certainly been an issue.

Sort of understandable when first starting out on a journey but there should be a routine that someone (train manager?) checks the screens and advises control if they are wrong.

I believe a system is being/has been rolled out that allows all TMs^‡(resolve) to update formation information of their train as needed. Hopefully as this is more often utilised information will improve in quality.
 

I reckon the trains should be able to report that kind of thing - formation, where they are, what's run out, as well as train system faults etc - all on their own.

There is such a system. Hundreds of signals are available from every 80x and can be viewed if you have access, which GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) control staff do.

[Adrian]

One issue causing extended dwell times is that some classic HST^▸ (High Speed Train) sets have a separate cycle compartment in coach A that isn't accessible from the rest of the train.  This causes confusion, passengers with bikes trying to board other parts of the train, then made to get off and go to the end coach, and then walk back to get on another part of the train.  If all the classics were like that, cyclists would at least get used to this train layout - but they're not.

[Celestial]

I think there should be a campaign to encourage passengers not to stand in the vestibule area unless absolutely necessary.  I was boarding a crowded HST^▸ (High Speed Train) at Bristol recently, and it took ages to get everyone on, fighting their way past people who got on and just blocked the door area.  The funny thing was, when I eventually got into the carriage, there were seats for all, and it wasn't that crowded after all.

The other idea would be to have drivers open the doors on local services.  (I'm not going to suggest that they close them too, as I know that will start a much bigger debate.)